Few discoveries have revolutionised the practice of medicine as much as the discovery of human red blood cell groups. Unlike modern vampire and Time Lord mythologies, blood groups don’t have a particular…

Sepsis claims the lives of 8m people worldwide each year. It is the leading cause of hospital deaths in the US, a major threat to soldiers wounded in battle and a killer of children, particularly in under-resourced…

A child in Senegal waiting to be tested for sickle cell anaemia - in parts of Africa up to 40% of the population can carry the sickle cell gene.
EPA/Pierre HoltzJuly 8 2014

Genetic mutations that affect our blood cells' haemoglobin are the most common of all mutations. It has been estimated that around 5% of the world’s population carry a defective globin gene. Haemoglobin…

It’s quite a romantic notion that the sweetness of our blood attracts mosquitoes. But in reality, it’s probably the cocktail of stinky microbes on our skin that really draws them in. It’s hard to know…

We share many behaviours and characteristics with our primate cousins and now we know our blood types are more closely linked as well.
AAP Image/Taronga ZooOctober 26 2012

A study published in PNAS this week has confirmed that human blood types were present in one of our ancient primate ancestors. The ABO blood groups Beloved by genetics teachers the world over, the ABO…